Kentucky Veterans Honored on 2025 Honor Flight

The flight transported 65 Kentucky veterans to see their memorials on the National Mall.

Among them were two veterans from Burlington, Kentucky, proudly sponsored by Owen Electric:

  • James Lee Sutter, who served in the U.S. Navy from June 1969 to June 1970. A member of the Brown Water Navy, Sutter operated riverboats along the Mekong River during the Vietnam War and maintained piping systems across many riverboats to help keep them running.
  • Richard Weber, Jr., who served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War as a Communications Center Operator. Weber was responsible for relaying important government messages across regions, ensuring vital information was delivered where it was needed most.

This year’s flight also carried one female veteran, who was inducted into the Military Women’s Memorial during the trip, as well as multiple Purple Heart recipients.

Since 2010, Kentucky’s Touchstone Energy Cooperatives have partnered with Honor Flight Kentucky to honor veterans for their service and sacrifice. “It’s a privilege to be able to fly these veterans to their memorials, and it’s an opportunity to repay them in some small way for their service to our nation and our community,” said President and CEO Michael Cobb.

As in years past, veterans flew from Lexington to Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., where they boarded three buses for a full day of honors and sightseeing. The day included the solemn changing-of-the-guard ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery, where Kentucky veterans also participated in a wreath-laying service.

The Honor Flight experience is a lasting tribute from Kentucky’s Touchstone Energy Cooperatives to the veterans who bravely served our nation. For veterans like James Sutter, Richard Weber, Jr., and so many others, the trip serves as both a long-overdue thank-you and a reminder that their sacrifices will never be forgotten.

View photos from the day here.

Learn more at www.honorflightky.org and www.togetherwesaveky.com/community.